Overcoming Pain or Sickness!

For the past few days I have had to put up with a bad cold and slight fever.
But I cannot lie down in bed to rest as that's not my style. I just go about my routines like cooking, eating lightly though and going to office, etc.

There is terrible pain in the throat but that hardly prevents me from reciting the Lalitha Sahasranamam during these festival days of navratri. I just silently pray without straining my voice.

I also spend time reading magazines which are delivered at my door step every alternate day so that my mind does not dwell too much on pain or sickness. I read 2 magazines and feel a bit alright now - enough to write this blog.

I remember my paternal aunt, whom we called Baby athai. She has been my role model whenever I have not felt well. In fact my father himself never used to lie down when he had pain or was sick.

Baby athai once was in such great pain after removing her wisdom tooth that she decided to take me and my younger sister along with her to the movie 'Phir Wohi Dil Laaya Hoon' starring Joy Mukherjee and Asha Paresh running at Royal or Dilshad talkies in Hyderabad. Oh what lovely and melodious songs were there in this movie. It was a treat to hear the great Rafi Saab and Asha Bhonsle sing so many beautiful songs and who can forget the evergreen music of our O.P.Nayyar saab.
We all sat at the theatre but I would steal a glance at Baby athai to see if she was in pain. She may have been, but all that she would give away was to hold a cloth on that side of her face and no noise of any kind would come out of her. She would buy us the popcorn and ice-creams but she would refrain from having them herself.

What a way to forget her pain I wondered but it must have left a deep mark on my psyche. I am able to tide over my own pain and aches by diverting my mind off it but I don't go to the movies to do that. Instead I forget myself by reading the latest magazines.

There is a remedy for pain besides taking those prescribed medicines!

Cheers!
Mahalakshmi